This invention relates to an improved contact clip and particularly a fuse clip for releasable connection of a contact blade of a blade-type cartridge fuse into a circuit.
Fuse clips are widely used for interconnecting of fuses into electrical circuits. The blade-type cartridge fuses are particularly used in power circuits or the like. The fuse includes a cartridge body with connecting contact blades to the opposite ends of the body. The fuse blade provides a large extended contact surface for current transfer to the connected circuit. Generally, blade-type fuse clips have included a pair of opposing spring contact members which resiliently grasps the opposite surfaces of the fuse blade. More recently, single surface terminal blocks have been suggested having a flat wall against which the fuse blade is resiliently held by a spring member. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,334, which issued Nov. 22, 1977 to William R. Bailey, discloses a blade-type fuse clip assembly including an extruded terminal block in combination with a nonconductive L-shaped cantilevered spring member for urging of the fuse blade into abutting engagement with a flat contact wall. The resilient member, although formed of an inexpensive dielectric material, is generally formed with a configuration having an outer outturned lip which cooperates with a corresponding end on the contact to define a V-shaped blade entrance for receiving of the contact blade. The blade is forced downwardly between the contact and the resilient member which deflects outwardly. Thus, the clip action of the extruded block connector essentially corresponds to that which has heretofore been employed in connection with the two-spring arm fuse clip devices.
Although the various fuse clip devices have found wide application and usage in the industry, a relatively large insertion force is normally encountered in order to produce the desired holding force. Relatively complex designs have been used in connection with the fuse clip assemblies employing a substantial number of different components. Prior art devices have also generally not been conducive to small, compact construction while maintaining the necessary electrical characteristic, and in many instances have been relatively costly to construct. Similar considerations also apply in other electrical switching fields, such as blade type disconnect switches.